Budget breakthrough? What Gov. Walz and the Legislature did and didn’t accomplish
Explaining Thursday’s State Capitol budget news amid the bipartisan boasting and a frenzied pushback.
by Matthew Blake
https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2025/05/budget-breakthrough-what-gov-walz-and-the-legislature-did-and-didnt-accomplish/

Thousands without power in Twin Cities after storm
A powerful storm blew through Minnesota on Thursday afternoon, knocking down trees and damaging power lines.
Author: Felicity Dachel
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/thousands-without-power-twin-cities/89-f489d1c3-bcab-4558-8488-74cfa6c0c230?ref=exit-recirc

DNC vice-chair David Hogg on Democratic party: ‘We need to dramatically change’
Lauren Gambino
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/16/david-hogg-dnc-democrats-trump

Murderbot review – Alexander Skarsgård is hella cool as a bored Robocop who hates all humans
This space comedy is about a cyborg who reprograms himself to go rogue … then just wants to mock stupid humans and glob out in front of the telly. It’s such a funny premise – but sadly falls short
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/may/16/murderbot-review-alexander-skarsgard

Mexico demands compensation from YouTube star MrBeast after pyramid chocolate video
Celebrity used trips to ancient Maya cities to advertise his own-brand snacks, drawing criticism from Mexico’s archaeology and history institute
Agence France-Presse
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/16/mexico-demands-compensation-from-youtube-star-mrbeast-after-pyramid-chocolate-video

Brontë sisters’ Bradford birthplace opens for visitors
Queen Camilla opens house, refurbished after 18-month fundraising campaign, where you can stay ‘in the same room the Brontës slept in’
David Barnett
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/may/15/bronte-sisters-bradford-birthplace-opens-for-visitors

Author denied UK visa unable to attend premiere of play based on his memoir
Exclusive: London theatre urges Home Office to reconsider as Ibrahima Balde unable to watch adaptation of award-winning book
Daniel Boffey Chief reporter
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/15/author-ibrahima-balde-denied-uk-visa-to-attend-premiere-of-play-based-on-his-memoir

The world’s five happiest cities for 2025
Lindsey Galloway
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250515-the-worlds-five-happiest-cities-for-2025

‘People are still haunted by what happened’: How history’s brutal witch trials still resonate now
Lindsay Baker
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250516-how-historys-brutal-witch-trials-still-resonate-now